It’s time for Inter to take on Torino at home. Like always before each match, Inter’s coach Walter Mazzarri answered to questions from the journalists the day before the match, this time in the conference room at the Stadio Meazza.
Can we expect an Inter who is watchful of Cerci and Immobile?
“Yes, Torino plays well and is a team that can put any team in difficulty, we have to play well in the two phases. As I’m thinking, I have tried to convey a certain mentality to the team. We want to control the game, even if they have done well against Juventus, for example.”
Are the defensive players starting tomorrow at the same level as those who don’t play?
“They are all players who have done well, both those who play tomorrow and those who have played before. We’re not talking about individual players, but about the whole defense. Merits and demerits are the whole team’s, even those who play tomorrow give us guarantees.”
Does Icardi have 90 minutes in his legs?
“I can’t answer that, but with the match in Rome and trainings he can only get better.”
A comment about Vidic and Inter’s project?
“His career speaks for itself, he’s a great player, but I prefer not to say more because he arrives next year.”
What is the situation for D’Ambrosio?
“His inclusion is also determined by those who have played before. It is the starting point for decisions in the upcoming game. If I thought that it was more beneficial to the team that he played I would let him play. I’ve talked about everything with him and when I let him play, it will mean that he is ready.”
What do you ask of the team in the end?
“That they play well and win with a good effort. In the twelve games that are left, we have to take as many points as possible. The last reference is the game in Rome. I have corrected the errors in the defense even if we made mistakes that could compromise our mistakes.”
Have you worked more with the mental aspect or the tactical for tomorrow’s game?
“You’re referring to the last home game, against a team that played with a buttoned down defense. In these cases it is difficult to play well, we tried all the time to reach the goal and it’s not easy when the team plays that buttoned. We must find the episode that allows us to unlock the game while remaining focused on the opponent’s counter-attack. This applies to all teams playing to win. We always have chances, we always have to unlock the matches first. If you look at the numbers, you can assume that you should win at home, while a draw is okay away from home. It is better to play at home than away from home.”
A comment regarding Juan Jesus, De Rossi and the appeal?
“These things concern the courts and referees, these are things that need to be accepted and to talk about judgements that are already made is not quite worth it.”
Do you agree with Kovacic’s statements? Did you watch his match, did you watch Taïders match?
“Yes, I watched it. I was very curious. He needs to improve his defensive play because he only thinks about the attack. To become a protagonist in the league, he needs to play both offensively and defensively.”
During the first half of the season there was talk about a winning streak that never came. Are you hoping that it will happen now during the season’s second half?
“I want to return to the earlier discussion. We have to score first, Hernanes is a player who has the experience, as opposed to a young player. When he was in Rome, he took care of free kicks, penalties and scored a lot of goals. That was one of the reasons why we brought him in right away to get better in these situations. Against Sassuolo, he gave us that.”
Could tomorrow’s game be a chance to see Ranocchia again and what can you say about Campagnaro?
“They will both play from the start, those who play well tomorrow will get the opportunity to play again next game. If you do well, you could continue playing. This is what I’ve tried to convey, it is also useful for the future.”
How is Juan Jesus doing mentally?
“He’s young, but he has to become more lucid, otherwise you have to pay the consequences. He isn’t happy, he was a starting player for us and he was very reliable and in very good shape.”
Guarin has no continuity during games, what do you think?
“He is aware of that himself, but with the qualities he has, he could do even more if he found continuity, but if I let him play, it means that he is a starting player. What it depends on? Not on the physical fitness, he is admired even by opponents. He would have scored for me even when I was in Napoli. I want him to increase his concentration to reach the top, each player has his own characteristics, some are electric, others less, but that’s nature.”
The relationship with Thohir?
“It’s a relationship between a president and a coach, he asks me what he wants, I give my explanations. The guidelines are provided by the club, and I’ll also express my ideas to the president. It’s an ongoing dialogue.”
Do you already have ideas for next season?
“Certainly, we have conducted our meetings. These matches will also be used for my analysis, to see who hypothetically could remain and so on… They therefore serve to evaluate everything, based also on the competitions that we will see going forward.”
Thohir has said that more important players will arrive. Do you think the team will be better next season?
“Yes, I think so, this is our intention, the guidelines are provided by the club, even with fair play in mind. At the end of the season we will think about everything, analyze the players we have in the team. We have already got Hernanes and next season we have a very good position to start from.”
Has the absence of the national team players been a heavy setback?
“It’s harder for the players than for me. They know me by now, Torino has also had some players absent because of national team games. There are those who have always played and it’s they who may be a little more tired, especially Nagatomo who has made a long journey.”
In what form is Alvarez? Is Rolando the most versatile player in this defense?
“He has had a problem and couldn’t be called, but I have to evaluate him. Rolando is very eclectic, but also Campagnaro can adapt to playing on the left. I also have Andreolli, I have four players and one will not play and three will do it.”
Do you feel any pressure to win in front of Thohir?
“I want to win for him and for us, the guys are focused on the pitch, regardless of the president, who is always watching our matches.”
Source: fcinternews.it